PARSIPPANY, NJ – December 11, 2014 - On a global scale, Southeast Asia represents the fourth largest market for synthetic latex polymers, accounting for 8% of the global consumption, according to the recently published Synthetic Latex Polymers: Southeast Asia Market Analysis and Opportunities report by global consulting and research firm Kline & Company. Although it is significantly smaller than the leading global markets, such as the United States, Europe, and China, it is still much larger than the developing markets of the Middle East, Brazil, and India. All markets are scheduled to be closely analyzed in our recently launched new program - Synthetic Latex Polymers: Global Business Analysis and Opportunities.

Within Southeast Asia, countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia account for 82% of synthetic latex polymers consumption in the region. Acrylonitrile-butadiene (AB nitrile) is the leading product type, accounting for 44.6% of the total consumption in the region by volume, followed by styrene acrylics.

Nonetheless, product split varies from one country to another. Latex consumption in Malaysia and Thailand is dominated by AB nitrile due to the large importance of the glove dipping application in these two countries. The product mix in Indonesia is dominated by styrene acrylics. Thailand dominates in consumption of pure acrylics, which is the third-largest type of synthetic latex polymers consumed in the region. “The product split in this region cannot be compared to any other region in the world,” comments Nikola Matic, Industry Manager of Kline’s Chemicals and Materials Practice. “In other regions, paints and coatings or paper applications usually represent the largest consumers, while the product split in Southeast Asia is strongly affected by the importance of the glove dipping industry in the region.”

The supplier landscape is also very specific in this region. Due to its fragmentation the market is characterized by a high degree of rivalry among existing suppliers. Moreover, the top 10 suppliers account for over 60% of the market with several production bases available in the region. This competition creates various barriers for those looking to enter the market. Suppliers consist of two tiers of companies: multinational companies, with a diverse regional base; such as Synthomer, Dow Chemical, BASF, Archroma, and Dairen. Regional companies, such as Eternal, Dovechem, Bangkok Synthetics, and Arindo Pacific, complete the competitive landscape.

Due to its strong position in glove dipping, Synthomer is the largest supplier of synthetic latex polymers, specifically AB nitrile and high solids styrene-butadiene (HS-SB). BASF comes in second and is a leading supplier of styrene acrylics in the region, particularly in paints and coatings and construction industries. Kumho Petrochemical is the third largest supplier of synthetic latex polymers and second-largest supplier of AB nitrile and HS-SB in the region.

Due to a strong correlation to the positive GDP growth in these country markets, the Southeast Asian market for synthetic latex polymers is forecast to grow, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% through 2018. Our Synthetic Latex Polymers: Southeast Asia Market Analysis and Opportunities report is designed to assist suppliers of synthetic latex polymers to understand the key dynamics operating within each product segment and end-use application on the vibrant Southeast Asian market.

Covering the complex market of synthetic latex polymers since the late 1970s, Kline now offers a new, global synthetic latex polymers program. Designed to provide both instant market results through a new and fully interactive database, as well as in-depth analyses of each regional end-use segments through comprehensive reports, this re-designed program is an indispensible tool for stakeholders in the synthetic latex polymers industry. For more information, view our Synthetic Latex Polymers: Global Business Analysis and Opportunities report page.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – December 9, 2014 - Global rubber consumption, which has increased at a CAGR of over 2% in the last two years, is expected to accelerate in the next 5 to 10 years due to rising demand for tire and other rubber goods driving rubber process oil (RPO) demand. The global RPO market in 2013 is estimated close to 3 million tons according to the recently published Global Rubber Process Oils: Market Analysis and Opportunities by global consulting and research firm Kline & Company.

“While the differences between regions in terms of growth rates and product consumption will persist in the future,” comments Kunal Mahajan, Energy/Petroleum Practice Project Manager, “with more countries adopting regulations for environmental RPOs and tire labeling, most markets are expected to converge into a global one in terms of types of products used. Additionally, growing tire demand and tire production facilities migrating to emerging economies, mainly in Asia, will result in RPO demand increasing more rapidly in emerging countries than developed countries.”

In terms of product segments, aromatics comprising DAE, TDAE, RAE, TRAE, and MES are the largest product segment, accounting for close to 57% of the total demand. Aromatics are followed by naphthenic and paraffinic RPOs at 29% and 14% of the total demand, respectively. Aromatics are the most compatible RPOs with rubber and rubber products, mainly tires, due to which its consumption share is high. Naphthenic RPOs are mainly consumed in North America, accounting for 70% of the total RPO demand in the region, due to ample local supply.

The United States and China are the largest RPO markets in the world, followed by Japan, India, South Korea, and Germany. Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, Turkey, and France form the next tier, followed by Malaysia, Poland, and Italy. Together, the 14 countries studied in the report account for more than 80% of the global RPO demand.

In most countries, the industry is dominated by local suppliers, with a few exceptions including a single EU market and few countries in Asia. However, even in these markets, local players have a significant presence, allowing local dynamics to affect the market to a large extent. Tire companies also prefer local suppliers to ensure a secure supply and prioritize RPOs available locally.

As global tire companies increase their presence in emerging economies, they are expected to follow similar global standards. H&R and Nynas already have a significant presence in Asia and Eastern Europe; moreover, Ergon is also increasing its presence in the regions. As competition increases, local RPO suppliers and tire companies may adopt some of the practices of their global peers, leading to integration of the market.

There are two key regulatory factors influencing the market. The regulation banning DAE’s usage adopted in the EU and followed by other countries virtually eliminated the usage of DAE in the EU and adversely affected demand in other countries that export tire products to the EU.

Secondly, tire labeling legislation was first implemented in the European Union to improve safety, fuel economy, and reduce noise pollution. This regulation mandates tire producers to display the fuel efficiency of tires on their product labels. S-SBR tires achieve the best fuel efficiency, and therefore its demand is expected to rise in the coming years as the trend towards tire labeling spreads globally.

Kline estimates that the global RPO market will grow at a CAGR of around 2.5% during 2013-2023, led by Asia, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.7%, the highest in the world.

Against this backdrop, Global Rubber Process Oils: Market Analysis and Opportunities explores market opportunities for rubber process oils.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – December 8, 2014 - The weeds are growing! Close to $1 billion was spent around the globe on industrial vegetation management (IVM) applications in 2013. That is the exciting news emerging from the recently completed Global Industrial Vegetation Management of Pesticides and Fertilizers: Market Analysis and Opportunities study from globally recognized consulting and market research firm Kline & Company.

The IVM market is about controlling weeds. When weeds grow, they impede such activities as moving electricity across power lines, keeping grazing lands available to fatten cattle, keeping highways and railroad lines safe for passenger and freight traffic, replanting harvested forest land, and maintaining inland water bodies so they are clean, safe, and available for recreation.

This type of weed control is steady and has shown moderate growth over the last decade. The fact that weeds are carried from one place to another by weather and birds, as well as the importance placed on invasive species control in recent years, have all created growth opportunities in this billion dollar market.

The leading countries practicing in industrial vegetation management are the United States, Brazil, Australia, and Japan. The largest end-use segment globally is range and pasture, representing about 40% of total sales to the IVM segment, followed by right-of-way (ROW) management accounting for an estimated 35% of the total.

“If it is true that ‘slow and steady wins the race,’ then IVM looks like a winner for the companies that have positioned their products in this evolving segment,” according to Dennis Fugate, Industry Manager for Specialty Pesticides at Kline & Company.

“Despite its steadiness, the segment has shown that new active ingredients that meet the needs of end users can capture major share alongside combinations of older actives that characterize most of the IVM sector,” adds Fugate. Milestone, based on Dow’s aminopyralid, has increased its share of the U.S. market every year that Kline has studied it. In the last decade, Milestone has more than doubled its share. Because it is highly effective and has application characteristics that meet safety and environmental needs, the product continues to garner share of the market that is increasingly conscious of its impact on the soil and water.

This growth has come in the face of a segment that has turned in part toward generic versions of long-standing brands, creating price competition that would tend to thwart a new product without the right fit. This phase is coming to an end as new chemistry based on selectivity of weeds controlled is entering the segment.

The primary players in this sector include Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto, DuPont, BASF, with generic producers Nufarm and Makhteshim Agan (Alligare) picking up share in recent years. DuPont recently announced the sale of its IVM products in select countries (including the United States and others) to Bayer, which will shift the balance somewhat among the second and third leaders.

It is a sector that has successfully faced challenges and keeps on growing. Find out more about this steady market with Kline’s recently published Global Industrial Vegetation Management of Pesticides and Fertilizers: Market Analysis and Opportunities report, which examines global IVM, including the invasive weed market for pesticides and fertilizers, focusing on key trends, developments, changes, challenges, and business opportunities.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

In January, Kline & Company, a worldwide consulting and research firm serving the needs of organizations in the lubricants and base stocks industry, introduced its monthly Base Stock Margin Index, a characterization of recent cash margin contributions in the U.S. base oil market over the past 24 months.

The Index estimates cash margin contributions associated with U.S. Group II base stock production. It simulates EBITDA before the deduction of corporate SG&A expenses for typical VGO-based virgin base stock plants and RFO-based re-refineries. A more detailed description of the Margin Index can be found in the January release.

“Contract cash margins for both virgin base oil producers and re-refiners improved in October as feedstock prices continued to fall faster than postings. VGO, the feedstock for virgin Group II refiners, dropped by 14% over the past month, while base oil postings fell by a lesser 8% on average from September through October,” said Ian Moncrieff, who manages Kline’s price forecasting activities. “As raw material costs continued their descent in October, the majority of base oil producers announced posting decreases during the first week of November. Generally, posting adjustments lag changes in feedstock prices by at least one month, often longer. Margins on spot trade, as well as lagged postings, are showing a downward cash margin trend. Since June 2014, Brent crude oil has collapsed from $110/Bbl to $80 as of today, VGO and refined products have followed suit. Base oil prices, both on contract business linked to postings and in the spot market, have also weakened, but by lesser amounts to-date. If the free fall in mainstream oil prices is finally halted by the end of 2014, we expect to see a slide in contract cash margins as the embedded lag in posting adjustments finally catches up with real time market conditions. Underlying fundamentals remain weak, as new capacity continues to come on line in Europe (SK-Repsol in Tarragona, and Shell-Hyundai Bank in Korea), and the end of the buying season is imminent.”

For more information on the Kline Index, or to inquire about our pricing and margin analysis services to the base stocks industry, please contact Ian Moncrieff, Vice President (Ian.Moncrieff@klinegroup.com) at (973)-615-3680 in Kline’s Energy Consulting Practice.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – October 30, 2014 - The increase of high-performing, cost competitive green base-oils, in the context of government regulations, supported by industry interest to develop innovative green formulations for various end users, is driving the bio-lubricants market growth. According to the recently published Opportunities in Bio-lubricants: Global Market Analysis study by global consulting and research firm Kline & Company, the outlook illustrates bio-lubricant growth will outpace that of finished lubricants.

Bio-lubricants constitute a small percentage of the finished lubricants market globally. The United States is the largest consumer of bio-lubricants in the world, followed by Germany, Nordic countries, and Brazil close behind. China is the smallest, but also the fastest growing market researched in this study.

The reasons for the relatively limited uptake of bio-lubricants include lack of regulation and domestic labels, high-performing formulations that are up to par with conventional lubricants, high prices, and lack of suitable additives.

The most significant regulation passed to date is the Vessel General Permit, introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The VGP is expected to drive the demand for bio-lubricants, particularly in stern tube oils. Advancements in bio-lubricants industry are most prominent in environmentally-sensitive zones, led by federal procurement programs, tenders and self regulation by OEMs and trade associations, such as forestry and waterway associations.

Market dynamics in bio-lubricants vary based on the share of domestic and imported lubricant production. Kline’s Project Manager Naira Aslanian explains, “In markets with a higher share of imports, usage of bio-lubricants is typically driven by niche applications requiring premium bio-lubricants, resulting in high pricing levels. In markets with a larger share of domestic production, there is typically a leading application that drives the bio-lubricants usage, and prices are kept low.”

The leading suppliers vary by region due to their established distribution networks. Statoil is a leader in Nordics, Quaker Chemical Corp. in Brazil, and Fuchs and Panolin in Germany. On account of their bio-lubricant focus and a wide range of products, Fuchs and Panolin are the leading suppliers of finished bio-lubricants globally, further driven by their global reach and OEM partnerships. They are complemented by Cargill who has a significant position in electrical transformer oils.

The leading market players established themselves through access to unique formulations, specific regional or industry regulation -such as transformer or forestry -or through the aftermarket of “green” OEMs. Examples include metalworking (Houghton International), marine (Vickers), railroad (Bechem), tunnel driving (Condat), and mountain equipment (York).

Growth of the bio-lubricants market will continue to reflect individual country regulations, domestic raw material supply, and available product technology. While regulation can be an incentive for growth increasing customer interest and driving blenders to develop relevant products, a regulation by itself, without the relevant enforcement, attractive offerings in terms of price and performance, and dedication won’t contribute to the segment’s growth. There will continue to be a degree of “trial and error” as suppliers explore and develop market niches. Successful product launches can subsequently be scaled up and rolled out into other markets, as it can be already seen happening in Europe.

Kline is hosting a complimentary webinar on key findings from the Opportunities in Bio-lubricants: Global Market Analysis on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 9 AM EST.

The Opportunities in Bio-lubricants: Global Market Analysis report provides a detailed appraisal of the global bio-based lubricants market and analyzes opportunities existing in the key end-use segments. Bio-based lubricants include lubricants derived from vegetable oils, polyglycols, and esters. The study includes forecasts to 2018.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, agrochemicals, energy, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

In January, Kline & Company, a worldwide consulting and research firm serving needs of organizations in the lubricants and base stocks industry, introduced its monthly Base Stock Margin Index, a characterization of recent cash margin contributions in the U.S. base oil market over the past 24 months.

The Index estimates cash margin contributions associated with U.S. Group II base stock production. It simulates EBITDA before the deduction of corporate SG&A expenses for typical VGO-based virgin base stock plants and RFO-based re-refineries. A more detailed description of the Margin Index can be found in the January release.

“September changes in base oil cash margins resulted from increased VGO feedstock costs for virgin refiners on one hand. On the other hand, re-refiners benefitted from reduced resid prices which serve as a leading proxy for used oil supplied to re-refiners,” said Ian Moncrieff, who manages Kline’s price forecasting activities. “Group II base oil posted prices were unchanged in September, despite the progressive weakening of the cash market. Motiva responded with posted price cuts on October 1, shortly followed by other producers. Looking forward, oversupply and nervous buyers continue to weigh negatively on the market. Declining crude oil prices may sustain base oil contract margins in the near term, since feedstock prices respond faster to downward price pressures than base oil postings, but a further round of downward posting adjustments is almost inevitable in the 4th quarter.

For more information on the Kline Index, or to inquire about our pricing and margin analysis services to the base stocks industry, please contact Ian Moncrieff, Vice President (Ian.Moncrieff@klinegroup.com) at (973)-615-3680 in Kline’s Energy Consulting Practice.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – October 15, 2014 - The multicultural beauty products market continues to outpace the growth of the overall market for cosmetics and toiletries, posting a 3.7% increase in 2014. To gain share of the ethnic consumer’s pocketbook, beauty marketers now competing from both ends of the spectrum need to understand a myriad of new market undertones found in the soon-to-be-published Multicultural Beauty and Grooming Products: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities by global consulting and research firm Kline & Company.

Rapidly growing ethnic populations have given way to intensified competition and catches multicultural beauty marketers breaking boundaries between general and multicultural beauty. On one end, there are brands such as Carol’s Daughter that are positioning away from being an exclusive ethnic brand to now also target a broader audience, regardless of ethnicity. This holds particularly true in the natural personal care segment where popular ethnic hair brand Shea Moisture is now rebranding to become suitable for all consumers.

“This widening approach helps move multicultural brands beyond the ethnic section of the beauty aisle to sit side-by-side nationally advertised brands,” comments Donna Barson, Senior Associate at Kline’s Consumer Products practice. “However, this audience expansion needs to be done without alienating long-time consumers who might feel deserted if they feel like their brand no longer speaks exclusively to them.”

Concurrently, mainstream brands continue to develop tactics to capture a growing percentage of the ethnic personal care market. While mainstream brands like Revlon, Lancôme, and Cover Girl have long reached ethnic consumers via the creative use of spokesmodels and targeted advertising, the approach for many brands has become even more savvy and genuine. Some marketers, including Estée Lauder and Shiseido, use beauty advisors who speak the language of the local ethnic community, whether it is Mandarin, Vietnamese, or Spanish, to create a greater connection with these consumers. Some also launch products targeting certain ethnic groups in the United States that are simultaneously released in that group’s country of origin.

The movement of mainstream companies into the multicultural space will not only open possibilities of more M&A in the coming years, but it will also be beneficial for consumers as they will be provided with a wider array of products targeting their needs. Smaller multicultural companies will also need to innovate in order to gain sales and create a niche for themselves or position themselves for a potential acquisition. In addition, the competition coming from the general market is also blurring the lines and having a challenging impact on the multicultural marketers.

During the forecast period through 2019, the ethnic beauty market will continue to face intensed competition from general cosmetic and toiletry brands, and the fine line between mainstream and multicultural markets will continue to blur. However, competition will give an incentive for a surge of innovative, quality products entering the market.

To better understand and capture a greater share in this increasingly important market segment, Multicultural Beauty and Grooming Products: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities provides an analysis of market size, competitive landscape, and trends in beauty and grooming among products marketed to the expanding ethnic community, such as African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and mixed-race people.

About Kline & Company

Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, and consumer products industries for over 50 years.

Kline Consumer Products focuses on cosmetics, personal care, professional beauty, and home care market research covering trends, scenario forecasts, and intelligent insights not found anywhere else. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – October 7, 2014 - Stringent sanitizing rules within a growing number of assisted living facilities, nursing homes, as well as in acute care settings such as hospitals, drive growth of the janitorial cleaning products market in the United States; however, the relatively fresh and rapidly growing concept of fast-casual restaurants represent the highest growth, according to the just-published Janitorial and Housekeeping Cleaning Products USA: Market Analysis and Opportunities by worldwide consulting and research firm Kline & Company.

The top three end-use segments of the janitorial and housekeeping cleaning products market estimated at $4 billion in 2014, together, account for close to 56% of all janitorial cleaning product sales in 2014. Contract cleaners, the leading end-use segment accounting for a little over 30% of the industry total, have increased penetration and revenues, but changes in floor care have affected this leading segment. To cut costs, facility managers often reduce the frequency of waxing and floor stripping, causing the formerly vibrant floor-care sector to post a flat to modest growth rate.

As a result of growing awareness of better hand hygiene practices, the hand care class continues to outperform the other product groups, driven by strong sales of foam hand soaps and instant hand sanitizers. While regular outbreaks of various infectious diseases have a dramatic impact on sales of hand hygiene products on the short-term basis, the real growth comes from the increasing knowledge that hands are the primary medium for the continuous transmission of various critical diseases. Hand care remains the prominent product class for suppliers to increase their revenues.

A diverse group of suppliers competes in the janitorial market. Laura Mahecha, Kline’s I&I Industry Manager, notes, “Kline segments the market into three primary groups: national branded suppliers, household cleaners companies, and private labelers with a few suppliers overlapping multiple categories. Lastly, there are local and regional suppliers, but these players are increasingly marginalized in the business.” Leading suppliers in the janitorial market include Sealed Air, Ecolab, GOJO, Zep, and Spartan.

“In contrast with food service distribution that has undergone rapid consolidation and is now led by major national companies like Sysco, USFS, and Gordon, the janitorial market is comprised of a vast number of intermediaries. This limits chemical suppliers’ ability to build market share in the janitorial business comparable to that of food service and laundry chemical businesses,” comments Mahecha.

Among a range of critical buying factors rated by the report’s survey respondents, product performance is rated the most important in their buying decision. Product safety is ranked second. Environmental friendliness receives a lower rating emblematic to the current business environment. While the industry is actively promoting environmentally friendly products, green cleaning must be cost-neutral for these products to resound with end users.

While this market is affected by the general growth of revenues for each end-use segment, budget constraints, resistance to price increases due to focus on maintaining tight margins, and other market and economic trends continue to put pressure on the market for janitorial cleaning products.

Fast-casual restaurants are poised for rapid growth due to the strength of this segment seen in store sales, as well as the ability for these mostly chain restaurants to add new units. Upcoming health care regulation changes may result in revenue and cost changes for hospitals; however, cleanliness and sanitation is too important to economize on in this segment, which is also expected to experience solid growth.

Janitorial and Housekeeping Cleaning Products USA: Market Analysis and Opportunities is a research of the U.S. away-from-home cleaning products business. Based on nearly 1,100 interviews, combined with the data and insight gleaned from the seven previous research editions conducted over the past 25 years this study provides a complete analysis and perspective of this important market. Based on a statistically-significant platform of structured interviews with commercial, industrial, and institutional end users the study provides 2013 and 2014 market data, as well as forecasts to 2019.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, agrochemicals, energy and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – September 24, 2014 - In 2013, over 100,000,000 hectares of crops are planted in China that can be treated by seed treatment agents. Central China has the largest planted area accounting for over 40% of total planted acreage, followed by Northern China with over 30% and Southern China with over 20%.

An estimated 46.1% of the planted acreage in 2013 are treated with seed treatment agents, either on-farm or off-farm. Corn is the crop with the largest seeds treating acreage, 34,000,000 hectares are treated by agents, representing above 95% of the acreage planted with corn.

The seed treatment market in China in 2013 is valued at over USD 130 million, covering corn, wheat, rice, soybean, sunflower, and canola. Corn remains the largest value contributor, followed by wheat.

Multinational seed treatment agent suppliers like Bayer, BASF, and Syngenta are offering more single active ingredient product, but promote their fungicides and insecticides as a package to farmers. Seed treatment agents from local suppliers are normally formulated with two to three active ingredients, which combine fungicide with insecticide, thus become effective to both diseases and insects.

In recent years, Syngenta also registered several formulated agents with two to three active ingredients, including its Cruiser Extra (formulated with 0.66% fludioxonil, 0.26% Metalaxyl-M and 28.08% thiamethoxam) to treat head smut and Laodelphax Striatellus on corn registered in early 2013.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – September 17, 2014 - With over 100 million copies of Fifty Shades of Grey sold and the popularity of such TV series as HBO’s “Girls” and Showtime’s ”Masters of Sex”, a paradigm shift in attitudes towards personal intimacy and enhancement products has emerged. Today, a number of marketers and retailers are embracing this movement and taking it mainstream, catering to the needs of a wide spectrum of consumers from college students to seniors.

With a dynamic sexual wellness market afoot, the need for accurate market research is paramount. Kline & Company is announcing the undertaking of a comprehensive study Sexual Wellness: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities, offering a first-of-its-kind assessment of this fast growing and highly fragmented market.

Leading multinational consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser has taken a front seat in the sexual wellbeing category following its acquisitions of Durex condoms in 2010 and K-Y personal lubricants in 2014. The Durex product lineup has since exploded to now offer an array of intimate lubricants and massagers. “We believe that intimate well-being is an essential category that, although often burdened with some social stigmas, offers a lot of opportunities as well,” remarked Aurore Trepo, a spokesperson from Reckitt Benckiser. “We are excited to see the results of this new study from Kline to help us better understand how to best respond to consumer and market needs.” Church & Dwight has adopted a similar strategy with its Trojan condom brand.

What was once the domain of small, dark, specialty shops and obscure online websites, sexual wellness products can now be found in many drug stores and mass merchandisers. Reputable chains like CVS, Walgreens, and Target boast larger and more complete intimate health sections which feature not only condoms and pregnancy kits, but also playful lubricants, intimate massagers, and sexual enhancement supplements from brands like Extenze and Zyrexin.

On the product side, the industry has evolved from a combination of awkward shapes and lurid colors into clean, bold lines with earthy shades and design-driven products. Some luxury boudoir items are found priced in the thousands, including vibrators that retail for $15,000. For the ultra adventurous, there are Bluetooth-connected devices that can turn a smartphone into a tool of intimacy. Trade shows like the Adult Novelty Manufacturers Expo (ANME) and Exxxotica demonstrate the possibilities of what may be in store in the near future. Both shows were in July, with Exxxotica touting its largest turnout to date.

Sexual Wellness: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities will provide a detailed independent appraisal of this fast-moving market and will explore market opportunities and challenges for market participants and potential entrants.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.